Hosts Bring Female Guests Home for Obon Holiday

After the Obon holidays end, the spirits of ancestors return to the spirit world, and office workers resume their usual lives. However, in Kabukicho, summer vacation starts about a week later than elsewhere. Takeru (pseudonym, 29), a host, pays special attention to his attire when he goes home for the holidays.

 

“I deliberately wear high-end clothes and nice watches. I want to show off and say, ‘I’m making many times more than you used to mock as a host job.’ I also spent money to show my parents that choosing this job and leaving my hometown was worth it.

 

But, every year, it becomes more boring to go back. Most of my local classmates are married now, and with family priorities, we have less time to meet. Even though some still make the effort, our conversations are just about trivial work and family complaints, which feels unfulfilling.”

 

Among hosts, it’s customary to announce a summer break by posting on Instagram, saying “Taking a break from returning home for a while.” Miyuri (pseudonym, 26), a sex worker who has a favorite host, shares her honest thoughts.

“When I see my host having fun at his family home, it honestly annoys me. I’m working in a job I can’t even tell my family about to support him, and now he’s using the money I contributed to show his parents he’s being filial?”

Many women experience frustration from not being able to see their hosts, making Obon a special opportunity for hosts to create a sense of exclusivity for their “princesses.”

“In the past, during Obon, I was taken to my host’s family home and introduced as someone he was thinking of a future with. We talked about our future together in front of his parents, and he said he wanted to quit being a host and find happiness eventually. But later, I found out there were several other girls who had been taken to his family home in the same way.

I was only 19 at the time and didn’t know hosts did things like this. Later, I spent about 7 million yen on his birthday. In the end, the trip home was just for his business. I even started to suspect his parents were in on it. When you’re taken to their family home, you assume it’s a serious relationship, don’t you?” (Ram, pseudonym, 23)

 

Going home with a host

For clients who spend large sums of money on hosts, it’s not uncommon for them to meet the host’s family. This can blur the lines between the professional and personal aspects of their relationship, making it harder to view their interactions as mere “pseudo-romance.”

In contrast to Ram’s situation, there are also cases where female clients bring their hosts to their own family homes. Yuko (pseudonym, 25), who has started bringing her host home with her since last year, shares her experiences.

“I went back to my family home with my host, and the four of us, my parents, the host, and I went shopping at the supermarket together. We also shared a meal with dishes he had prepared. I’ve explained to my parents that, while we’re maintaining the appearance of a relationship, he’s actually my host and I’m spending money at his club,” Yuko (pseudonym, 25) says with a laugh. “It shows his confidence and how generous he is.

Recently, every time I go home, my parents ask if I’m getting along well with my host. Maybe they think it’s better than having me alone. Personally, I’ve only experienced this kind of Kabukicho-style relationship.”

The extraordinary relationships found in Kabukicho start blending into real life. The lines between men and women, hosts and clients, and between romantic engagements and genuine love become blurred. Kabukicho often uses reality to create an illusion, making these boundaries ambiguous.

Currently participating in the filming of the drama “Shinjuku Field Hospital” (Fuji TV), and the book “Host! Tachinbo! Tōyoko! Overdose People” by Chiwa Sasaki (Kodansha) is now available and receiving positive reviews!

 

From the September 6-13, 2024, issue of ‘FRIDAY’.